Aircraft digital event ledger

ABSTRACT

A method of operating an aircraft. The method includes sensing, using a trusted sensor, a trusted parameter of the aircraft during operation of the aircraft; receiving, at a processor, the trusted parameter; entering, by the processor, the trusted parameter as a first immutable entry into a ledger stored on an immutable non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium, wherein immutable is defined as unchangeability of data stored on the non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium, and wherein the ledger also contains additional immutable entries regarding operations of the aircraft and an aircraft environment; executing, by the processor, a recursive analysis algorithm on the first immutable entry together with the additional immutable entries to produce analyzed data; and using, by the processor, the analyzed data to improve future operational performance of the aircraft by ordering changes in how a component of the aircraft performs during operation of the aircraft based on the analyzed data.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1. Field

The present disclosure relates to the design, manufacturing, operationand maintenance of an aircraft using a digital ledger of aircraft eventsthat is kept in association with the design, manufacturing, delivery,operation, maintenance, regulatory compliance and ownership transfer ofthe aircraft.

2. Background

Within the aviation industry there is a plethora of disparateinformation systems that manage disparate aircraft event activity datarelative to the manufacturing and operation of the aircraft. Thus, amanufacturer, owner or operator of an aircraft has little ability toaccess, correlate, and/or analyze this data to determine whethermaintenance is required, or whether it is advisable to changeoperational parameters of an aircraft in flight.

Today, this information is often managed in a paper form and boxed forstorage retention. Even if data is computerized, the data is stored indisparate systems that do not and/or cannot communicate with each other.Either approach has challenges with respect to the uncertainty ofinformation, the poor timeliness of data, and the limited ability toverify the accuracy of data.

SUMMARY

The illustrative embodiments provide for a method of operating anaircraft. The method includes operating the aircraft. The method alsoincludes sensing, using a trusted sensor, a trusted parameter of theaircraft during operation of the aircraft. The method also includesreceiving, at a processor, the trusted parameter. The method alsoincludes entering, by the processor, the trusted parameter as a firstimmutable entry into a ledger stored on an immutable non-transitorycomputer-recordable storage medium. Immutable is defined asunchangeability of data stored on the non-transitory computer-recordablestorage medium. The ledger also contains additional immutable entriesregarding operations of the aircraft and an aircraft environment. Themethod also includes executing, by the processor, a recursive analysisalgorithm on the first immutable entry together with the additionalimmutable entries to produce analyzed data. The method also includesusing, by the processor, the analyzed data to improve future operationalperformance of the aircraft by ordering changes in how a component ofthe aircraft performs during operation of the aircraft based on theanalyzed data.

The illustrative embodiments also provide for another method ofoperating an aircraft. The method includes operating the aircraft. Themethod also includes sensing, using a trusted sensor, a trusted eventrelated to the aircraft during operation of the aircraft. The methodalso includes receiving, at a processor, the trusted event, wherein thetrusted event is defined as data received from a sensor that ispredetermined to be trustworthy. The method also includes entering, bythe processor, the trusted event as a first immutable entry into aledger stored on an immutable non-transitory computer-recordable storagemedium. Immutable is defined as unchangeability of data stored on thenon-transitory computer-recordable storage medium. The ledger alsocontains additional immutable entries regarding operations of theaircraft. The method also includes executing, by the processor, arecursive analysis algorithm on the first immutable entry together withthe additional immutable entries to produce analyzed data. The methodalso includes using, by the processor, the analyzed data to determine anestimated cause for the trusted event.

The illustrative embodiments also provide for an aircraft including afuselage and an onboard computer programmed with program code forperforming the above-described methods. The illustrative embodimentsalso provide for a non-transitory computer-recordable storage mediumstoring program code, which when executed by an onboard computer of anaircraft, performs the above-described methods.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the illustrativeembodiments are set forth in the appended claims. The illustrativeembodiments, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, furtherobjectives and features thereof, will best be understood by reference tothe following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of thepresent disclosure when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of an aircraft, in accordance with anillustrative embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an overview of a physical aircraft digitalevent ledger system, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an overview of a physical aircraft digitalevent ledger system for multiple aircraft, in accordance with anillustrative embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a data flow in an aircraft digital eventledger system, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a flowchart of a method of operating anaircraft, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a flowchart of another method of operatingan aircraft, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a block diagram of an aircraft, inaccordance with an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 8 is illustration of an aircraft manufacturing and service method,in accordance with an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of an aircraft in which an illustrativeembodiment may be implemented; and

FIG. 10 is an illustration of a data processing system, in accordancewith an illustrative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrative embodiments recognize and take into account that withinthe aviation industry there is a plethora of information systems thatmanage disparate aircraft event activity data relative to the design,manufacturing, and operation of the aircraft. The use of disparatedatabases means that the event activity owner has limited ability toaccess, correlate and or analyze this data to determine 1) that aplanned event has occurred and the state of the completed event, 2) thatan unplanned event has occurred requiring remedial attention, and 3)corollary contributions to determine when an event is expected to occur,the causality of the event and appropriate actions to address theunplanned event.

In addition, the illustrative embodiments recognize and take intoaccount that there are additional challenges that regularly preventairlines and suppliers from coordinating and optimizing or enhancinginventory. As a result, several inefficiencies occur. For example, extracosts are incurred in the parts stock that is held by airlines tocompensate for an unknown event.

However, the illustrative embodiments allow for enhancements of partstock inventory with increased data availability, increased dataaccuracy, and improved predictive analytics using the aircraft digitalevent ledger described herein. Thus, the illustrative embodimentsprovide for shifting the supply chain paradigm from reactive topreemptive. The ledger of the illustrative embodiments also improves theaccuracy of predicting the need for and coordinating part maintenance.

Within the aviation parts business, there is the need to ensure the useof authentic parts from the manufacturer to the eventual and finaldisposition of the part. Today, this information is managed in a paperform and boxed for storage retention. This approach has challenges withuncertainty of information, untimely data, and limited ability to verifythe accuracy of the data. With the transfer of aircraft ownership, acomplete review of the aircraft maintenance records is required. Thisreview is a costly and time-consuming effort that results in errorsoften due to discrepancies found in the hand-written maintenancedocumentation. The application of the ledger of the illustrativeembodiments to the maintenance and operation tracking systems willmaintain an accurate electronic record of aircraft maintenance andoperations, thereby establishing an immutable as-flying configuration ofthe aircraft.

The aircraft digital event ledger of the illustrative embodiments is aledger of aircraft events that is kept in association with the design,manufacture, delivery, operation, maintenance, regulatory compliance,and ownership transfer of the aircraft. Events are captured as afunction of aircraft task completion during assembly, inclusive ofquality assurance activities. Events are also captured as a result of anout-of-phase or out-of-variance condition during aircraft operation orduring the aircraft maintenance cycle. Included in the event ledger areevents provided by part and component original equipment manufacturersthat supply both to the aircraft manufacturer and to the aircraft owner,operator, and maintenance entities.

The illustrative embodiments also may be integrated with software. Forexample, the aircraft digital event ledger of the illustrativeembodiments may be integrated with external software which enables adigital twin of the aircraft or thread of digitally represented eventsrelative to the aircraft. As this software detects events andoperational events, the ledger of the illustrative embodiments ispopulated with event information.

Historically, data sharing within the aviation industry has been asubstantial challenge. One such challenge has been the extensive use ofpaper documentation. Another such challenge has been the fact thatdisparate information systems do not conform to a specific standardsystem for managing event information.

The aircraft digital event ledger of the illustrative embodimentsestablishes a trust relationship between owners of the event ledger andthe ledger information users. Authentication and access controls limitwho has access to the ledger, what information can be viewed and actedupon, and what processing can be applied to the data. This capabilityfacilitates discrete trusted sharing of information between event ledgersystems and users.

Thus, the aircraft digital event ledger of the illustrative embodimentsis a ledger of aircraft events and events related to the aircraft thatare kept in association with the design, manufacture, delivery,operation, maintenance, regulatory compliance and ownership transfer ofthe aircraft. Additionally, the illustrative embodiments may also beapplied to most products of substantive value for which tracking ofinformation is desirable, such as military or commercial sea goingvessels.

The illustrative embodiments enable the acquisition and analysis ofplanned and unplanned event data from distributed adjunct operationaldata sources of information associated with the design, manufacture,maintenance and operation of aircraft. This capability facilitates thedigital continuity of events and digital representation of the aircraftcharacteristics. This capability also provides an accurate, immutablerepresentation of an aircraft throughout the lifecycle of the aircraft.The digital sourcing and evaluation of data that is entered into theaircraft event ledger is a collaborative functional effort of evaluatingand abstracting the variance of performance of the operational aircraftsystems with the originating design requirements and designspecifications.

The event ledger of the illustrative embodiments may also becharacterized as a computing system with respective computer processing,storage, and network communications. The ledger is distinct in itscapability as a shared distributed immutable source of accurate andtimely information originating from things emitting or transmittinginformation, sensors monitoring the state and function of aircraft partsor assemblies, and operational level computer systems that are used inthe design, manufacture, operation, and maintenance of aircraft. Otherrelated, but non-operational, systems such as aircraft servicing,weather, airport data, and resource availability systems are interfacedto establish contextual environmental information relative to the eventledger entry.

The illustrative embodiments also provide for a comparativecontext-event ledger. The context-event ledger obtains relatedcontextual event data associated with the aircraft digital event ledger.The context-event ledger is a defined deterministic system that hasdefinitions of correlated environments and atmospheric conditions. Inaddition, the context-event ledger extends the contextual definitionsthrough corollary analysis to the associated causal relationships. Thecontext-event ledger establishes the ability to draw upon and defineindirect influences that affect the operational performance of theairplane. These extensions, when reviewed and approved by users orregulators, are included within the event ledger's contextualdefinition.

The illustrative embodiments have several distinguishing characteristicsthat stand in contrast to other means for tracking aircraft eventinformation. One distinguishing characteristic is that the illustrativeembodiments provide a machine-to-machine immutable ledger entry, therebyreducing the inaccuracy of handwritten or discrepant information beingentered into the system.

Another such characteristic is that multiple ledger instantiationsonboard and off-board the aircraft are provided in support of the owner,operator, original equipment manufacturer, and regulatory interests.Another such characteristic is that event activities are correlatedacross multiple operational domains, thereby providing operationallogistic visibility and operational enhancements. This capability alsoprovides for extended supply chain visibility across multiple partnersand functional domains within each.

Another such characteristic is that the proximity of ledger locationavailability allows for expeditious and enhanced decision making.Another such characteristic is that the illustrative embodiments providefor real-time aircraft event observation and contextual extraction ofevent ledger information from the movement control system.

Another such characteristic is that the illustrative embodiments provideentry of contextual information that relates to the event. Suchcontextual information is also correlated to the aircraft event ledger.

Another such characteristic is that the illustrative embodiments providethe ability to correlate information from the aircraft event ledger andthe environment event ledger to enhance operational, maintenance, andsupport performance of the airframe. Another such characteristic is thatthe illustrative embodiments provide for the application of recursiveanalysis algorithms against event ledger entries to improve aircraftoperational performance and aircraft design.

Another such characteristic is that the illustrative embodiments providefor a deterministic analysis capability of event occurrences utilizingalgorithms determining the probability of event type occurrences,frequency of the event, and the fleet opportunity of the event across afleet of aircraft based upon projected environmental events. Anothersuch characteristic is that the ledger of the illustrative embodimentsprovides an immutable as-flying-configuration of the aircraft.

Another such characteristic is that the illustrative embodiments providefor corollary contribution analysis to determine when an event isexpected to occur, the causality of the event, and an appropriateapproach to address the unplanned event. Another such characteristic isthat the illustrative embodiments verify part authenticity from themanufacturer to aircraft installation, as well as the eventual and finaldisposition of the part.

Thus, the illustrative embodiments provide several value propositionsthat both improve the operational capability and efficiency of existingaircraft related systems and introduce the opportunity for new systems.The following is a list and brief description of these enabledopportunities.

One enabled opportunity is that the illustrative embodiments providesharing of trusted information with a set of agreed to participantswithin a secure distributed network. Another enabled opportunity is thatthe illustrative embodiments provide an improved operational dataaccuracy. Another enabled opportunity is that the illustrativeembodiments provide for collection of data directly from the part,component, or assembly, thus reducing the errors made by individuals inrecording the information.

Another enabled opportunity is that the illustrative embodiments providean improved accuracy of part or component failure forecasting based ondata in the digital event ledger. Another enabled opportunity is thatthe illustrative embodiments provide for improved part inventoryenhancement and localization of part consumption planning. Anotherenabled opportunity is that the illustrative embodiments provide reducedaircraft false positive notification events through correlated eventanalysis, thus validating the authenticity of the event.

Two primary event types are defined and captured within the aircraftdigital event log. Planned events are captured as a function of ascheduled or planned event beginning and end. Additional definedinformation relative to the design, manufacture, and operation of theaircraft is captured as a planned event ledger entry. This informationincludes, but is not limited to: personnel associated with the event;tooling and equipment utilized in the event; tooling and equipmentsettings and configurations; computing devices associated with theevent; software and software versions associated with the event;material utilized and consumed with the event; location of the aircraft(altitude, longitude/latitude, direction, speed, attitude, etc.);procedures followed in preparation, during, and finalization of theplanned event; aircraft task completion during assembly, inclusive ofquality assurance; and assembly, sub-assembly, and part identificationinformation.

Unplanned events are an out-of-phase or out-of-variance condition thatoccurs during the manufacturing, operation, and maintenance of theaircraft. Included in the event ledger are events identified,associated, or detected by a part or component of the original equipmentmanufacturer that supply both to the aircraft original equipmentmanufacturer and to the aircraft owning, operating, and maintainingentities.

The aircraft digital event ledger of the illustrative embodiments, andthe context-event ledger of the illustrative embodiments, has integratedcapability with data collection software and hardware (such as sensors,information, and operational systems) which enables operationalreal-time event determination. As vehicle movement data is gathered andas events are determined, the digital event ledger of the illustrativeembodiments captures the event data and performs a deterministicanalysis. The combination of the digital event log with data resourcesenables a collaborative rich data resource to conduct predictiveanalysis that may improve the operational efficiency and maintenance ofthe aircraft.

The illustrative embodiments also recognize and take into accountadvantages from a supply chain perspective. For example, theillustrative embodiments recognize and take into account that a currentmode of operation is largely a pipeline where individual stakeholderswork in isolation with poor visibility across the extended value chain.Such a schema is very reactive and provides limited insights. However,“Internet of Things” technology stands to enable the sharing ofinformation and process integration across functional domains andstakeholders, such as but not limited to airlines, original equipmentmanufacturers (OEMs), parts suppliers, maintenance, repair, and overhaulsuppliers, and other. One cannot over-emphasize the value and importanceof process re-engineering and data sharing in the modern aviationindustry. Thus, the illustrative embodiments better inform key supplychain processes, providing for improved forecasting, planning, inventorypositioning, and other functions.

Thus, the illustrative embodiments of the invention support a digitalsupply chain capability for the aircraft manufacturing aftermarket thatconnects data internally and externally throughout the supply chain. Theillustrative embodiments can be used to set the stage for an integrated,customer-centric supply chain.

The illustrative embodiments also provide for operational flexibilityand responsiveness. This flexibility and responsiveness comes fromimproving the agility, speed, and accuracy of decision making providedby the illustrative embodiments.

Additionally, the illustrative embodiments provide for the convergenceof operational and information technologies, such as product lifecyclemanagement (PLM), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), and Supply ChainManagement (SCM). Enterprise Asset Management is provided for planningand execution systems, such as maintenance planning and productioncontrol. The aviation industry, the opportunity to share data andintegrate processes across these critical domains is a valuable tool.The same technology that supports sensor driven decision making can beleveraged to further improve the illustrative embodiments.

In view of the above, the illustrative embodiments provide for a digitalevent ledger. While the term “ledger” is used, the illustrativeembodiments are more than just a simple data structure or means forstoring data, but rather are defined as claimed with variations asdescribed below.

With reference now to the figures, and in particular, with reference toFIG. 1, an illustration of an aircraft is depicted in accordance with anillustrative embodiment. Aircraft 100 is an example of an aircraft inwhich, or for which, the aircraft digital event ledger of theillustrative embodiments may be implemented.

In this illustrative example, aircraft 100 has wing 102 and wing 104attached to body 106. Aircraft 100 includes engine 108 attached to wing102 and engine 110 attached to wing 104. Aircraft 100 could be any otheraircraft, such as a prop aircraft, a helicopter, or some other moveableplatform such as an automobile, boat, or even a building.

Aircraft 100 may have other features. For example, body 106 has tailsection 112. Horizontal stabilizer 114, horizontal stabilizer 116, andvertical stabilizer 118 are attached to tail section 112 of body 106.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an overview of a physical aircraft digitalevent ledger system, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Inparticular, FIG. 2 shows an aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL)operational system overview. Aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) 200may be implemented as software or hardware. Aircraft digital eventledger (ADEL) 200 is used to track information about aircraft 202.Aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) 200 provides a capability that,until the illustrative embodiments, could only be performed by a human.In other words, aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) 200 enables acomputer to perform the data collation and evaluation which heretoforewas performable solely by humans using a plurality of disparatereferences. Aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) 200 also provides aunique display of information that enables a user to use a vast amountof information which, without aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) 200,would be unintelligible to a human.

FIG. 2 provides a top-level system view of the aircraft digital eventledger (ADEL) system. As noted in the diagram, there are severaloperational systems that generate event data. These operation systemsinclude, but are not necessarily limited to, object or vehicledefinition management system 204, object or vehicle analysis enhancementcontroller 206, object or vehicle maintenance management system 208,object or vehicle operation management 210, active object or vehicleanalysis enhancement controller 212, active object vehicle environmentalanalysis system 214, and digital context-event ledger 216.

This data is derived and populated as events recorded in aircraftdigital event ledger (ADEL) 200. As the data of these events areobtained, they are associated with and correlated with environmentalinformation data obtain from aircraft 202 and other systems that areoperational in conjunction with aircraft 202.

As described above, additional supporting systems may be present. Forexample, digital context-event ledger 216 may receive information fromcontext analysis controller 218 and active context and space segmentsenhancement controller 220, as well as from digital event/context ledgercoordination system 222 (described further with respect to FIG. 3).Digital context-event ledger 216 may determine contextual informationand provide such contextual information as events to aircraft digitalevent ledger (ADEL) 200.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of an overview of a physical aircraft digitalevent ledger system for multiple aircraft depicted in accordance with anillustrative embodiment. ADEL group 300 is a variation of aircraftdigital event ledger (ADEL) 200 of FIG. 2 in the context of multipleaircraft. Each individual system within ADEL group 300 may be aninstance of aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) 200 in FIG. 2.

The distribution of the aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) supportsthe acquisition of data from multiple aircraft of multiple aircrafttypes, including but not limited, to all of the aircraft in aircraftgroup 302. FIG. 3 depicts each aircraft in aircraft group 302interfacing with the respective operational systems 304 associated withone or more aircraft from one or more aircraft operators or owners.Operational systems 304 may be those, for example, shown in FIG. 2.Operational systems 304 in-turn interface with the multiple event ledgerADEL systems in ADEL group 300. Note that in some illustrativeembodiments, a single digital event or context ledger coordinationsystem 306 and digital context-event ledger 308 may be sufficient tomanage the entire aircraft group 302. This system coordinates digitalevents and contexts entered into the ledger.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a data flow in an aircraft digital eventledger system, in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Data flowchart 400 indicates the flow of data and process associated with plannedevent determination, ledger population, and deterministic analysis.Unplanned events follow a similar flow. The primary difference, as notedin the diagram, is the exception event that occurs when an activityfalls outside of the desirable performance opportunity or when anunplanned event occurs.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a flowchart of a method of operating anaircraft depicted in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Method500 may be implemented in an aircraft, such as aircraft 100 of FIG. 1 oraircraft 900 of FIG. 9, and may be implemented using one or moreaircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) systems, such as aircraft digitalevent ledger (ADEL) 200 of FIG. 2 or ADEL group 300 of FIG. 3. The ADELsystems described herein can be used to improve the operation ofphysical aircraft. Thus, method 500 may be characterized as a method ofoperating an aircraft.

Method 500 includes operating the aircraft (operation 502). Method 500also includes sensing, using a trusted sensor, a trusted parameter ofthe aircraft during operation of the aircraft (operation 504).

Method 500 also includes receiving, at a processor, the trustedparameter (operation 506). Method 500 also includes entering, by theprocessor, the trusted parameter as a first immutable entry into aledger stored on an immutable non-transitory computer-recordable storagemedium, wherein immutable is defined as unchangeability of data storedon the non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium, and whereinthe ledger also contains additional immutable entries regardingoperations of the aircraft and an aircraft environment (operation 508).

Method 500 also includes executing, by the processor, a recursiveanalysis algorithm on the first immutable entry together with theadditional immutable entries to produce analyzed data (operation 510).Method 500 also includes using, by the processor, the analyzed data toimprove future operational performance of the aircraft by orderingchanges in how a component of the aircraft performs during operation ofthe aircraft based on the analyzed data (operation 512). In oneillustrative embodiment, the method may terminate thereafter.

Method 500 may be varied. For example, the sensor may be one of anonboard sensor, an off-board sensor, multiple sensors, and a combinationof both onboard and off-board sensors. In another illustrativeembodiment, the processor may be one of an onboard processor, anoff-board processor, and a combination of both the onboard processor andthe off-board processor.

In still another illustrative embodiment, method 500 may also includecorrelating, by the processor, event activities related to the aircraftacross multiple operational domains to provide operational logisticvisibility and operational enhancement. In addition, method 500 may alsoinclude maintaining the ledger in multiple instantiations both onboardand off-board the aircraft.

In another illustrative embodiment, method 500 may also include loggingcontextual event information associated with the trusted parameter. Inthis case, method 500 may also include correlating the contextual eventinformation with the trusted parameter to form a correlation, andfurther including the correlation when performing the recursiveanalysis.

In addition, method 500 may also include determining a probability of afuture event using the analyzed data. In this case, method 500 may alsoinclude using a corollary contribution analysis to estimate when thefuture event is expected to occur. Alternatively, in this case, method500 may also include determining a frequency of the future event usingthe analyzed data.

In addition, method 500 may also include determining additionalprobabilities and frequencies of similar future events across a fleet ofadditional aircraft.

Alternatively, in the context of determining a probability of a futureevent, method 500 may also include estimating a cause for the futureevent. In this case, method 500 may also include estimating anappropriate approach to address the future event.

Still other illustrative embodiments may be possible. For example,method 500 may also include using the ledger to authenticate a partbeing used in the aircraft. In other examples, more or fewer operationsmay be present. In still other examples, the operations may bedifferent. For example, method 500 could also be used to maintainaircraft, in addition to operating an aircraft. Thus, the illustrativeembodiments are not necessarily limited to the examples provided in FIG.5.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a flowchart of another method of operatingan aircraft depicted in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.Method 600 may be implemented in an aircraft, such as aircraft 100 ofFIG. 1 or aircraft 900 of FIG. 9, and may be implemented using one ormore aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) systems, such as aircraftdigital event ledger (ADEL) 200 of FIG. 2 or ADEL group 300 of FIG. 3.Method 600 is a variation of method 500 of FIG. 5. The ADEL systemsdescribed herein can be used to improve the operation of physicalaircraft. Thus, method 600 may be characterized as a method of operatingan aircraft.

Method 600 includes operating the aircraft (operation 602). Method 600also includes sensing, using a trusted sensor, a trusted event relatedto the aircraft during operation of the aircraft (operation 604). Thetrusted event is defined as data received from a sensor that ispredetermined to be trustworthy.

Method 600 also includes receiving, at a processor, the trusted event(operation 606). Method 600 also includes entering, by the processor,the trusted event as a first immutable entry into a ledger stored on animmutable non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium, whereinimmutable is defined as unchangeability of data stored on thenon-transitory computer-recordable storage medium, and wherein theledger also contains additional immutable entries regarding operationsof the aircraft (operation 608).

Method 600 also includes executing, by the processor, a recursiveanalysis algorithm on the first immutable entry together with theadditional immutable entries to produce analyzed data (operation 610).Method 600 also includes using, by the processor, the analyzed data todetermine an estimated cause for the trusted event (operation 612).

Method 600 may be varied. For example, method 600 may also includeestimating an efficient approach to addressing the trusted event. Inanother example, method 600 may also include the trusted event being apart of the aircraft operating outside of predefined operatingparameters.

Still other illustrative embodiments may be possible. For example,method 600 may also include using the ledger to authenticate a partbeing used in the aircraft. In other examples, more or fewer operationsmay be present. In still other examples, the operations may bedifferent. For example, method 600 could also be used to maintainaircraft, in addition to operating an aircraft. Thus, the illustrativeembodiments are not necessarily limited to the examples provided in FIG.6.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a block diagram of an aircraft depicted inaccordance with an illustrative embodiment. Aircraft 700 is an exampleof an aircraft in which the aircraft digital event ledger of theillustrative embodiments described herein may be implemented. Aircraft700 may be a variation of aircraft 100 of FIG. 1 or aircraft 900 of FIG.9.

Aircraft 700 includes fuselage 702 and on-board computer 704 insidefuselage 702. On-board computer 704 includes processor 706 incommunication with non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium 708storing program code 710 which, when executed by processor 706, performsa computer-implemented method. Program code 710 includes code forsensing, using a trusted sensor, a trusted parameter of the aircraftduring operation of the aircraft. Program code 710 also includes codefor receiving, at a processor, the trusted parameter.

Program code 710 also includes code for entering, by the processor, thetrusted parameter as a first immutable entry into a ledger stored on animmutable non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium. Immutableis defined as unchangeability of data stored on the non-transitorycomputer-recordable storage medium. The ledger also contains additionalimmutable entries regarding operations of the aircraft and an aircraftenvironment.

Program code 710 also includes code for executing, by the processor, arecursive analysis algorithm on the first immutable entry together withthe additional immutable entries to produce analyzed data. Program code710 also includes code for using, by the processor, the analyzed data toimprove future operational performance of the aircraft by orderingchanges in how a component of the aircraft performs during operation ofthe aircraft based on the analyzed data.

Program code 710 may be further varied. For example, program code 710may also include code for correlating, by the processor, eventactivities related to the aircraft across multiple operational domainsto provide operational logistic visibility and operational enhancement.Program code 710 also may include code for maintaining the ledger inmultiple instantiations both onboard and off-board the aircraft.

Program code 710 also may include code for logging contextual eventinformation associated with the trusted parameter. In this case, programcode 710 also may include code for correlating the contextual eventinformation with the trusted parameter to form a correlation. Also inthis case, program code 710 also may include code for further includingthe correlation when performing the recursive analysis.

The illustrative embodiments may be still further varied. The programcode may have additional functions to implement operations, such asthose described above with respect to FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, or elsewherehere. The program code may also be used to improve the performing ofmaintenance or reworking on an aircraft. Thus, the illustrativeembodiments are not necessarily limited to the examples provided withrespect to FIG. 7.

Attention is now turned to additional features of the illustrativeembodiments. As an overall summary, the aircraft digital event ledger ofthe illustrative embodiments is an electronic database of all theinformation pertaining to the aircraft. The illustrative embodimentsaddress the issues that arise as a result of the fact that informationon different aspects of an aircraft are maintained in differentdatabases at different locations, some on paper and some electronic.

Thus, the illustrative embodiments provide a method to provide acomprehensive database on an aircraft. This method includes setting upan aircraft digital event ledger (ADEL) database specific to theaircraft when the aircraft enters production system. This method mayalso include collecting the information associated with the aircraftthroughout a life of the aircraft in the ADEL database comprising:information on design of the aircraft, change orders and optionsselected by a customer of the aircraft, manufacturing of the aircraft,production tickets and ticket resolutions associated with manufacturingof the aircraft, quality control of the manufacturing of the aircraft,delivery of the aircraft, ongoing operation of the aircraft andidentified anomalies and resolutions, maintenance of the aircraft,regulatory compliance of the aircraft, ownership transfer of theaircraft, or a combination thereof. This method may also include usingthe ADEL database for tasks comprising: FAA reviews, acquisition andanalysis of planned and unplanned event data from distributed adjunctoperational data source of information associated with the design,manufacture, maintenance and operation of the aircraft, sharinginformation from a fleet of aircraft for owner data analysis concerningaircraft availability and maintenance, sharing information on aircraftequipment operation for the airframe manufacturer and equipmentmanufacturers and regulatory agencies for improving design andpredicting general issues with equipment, or a combination thereof.

Other variations are also possible. For example, the illustrativeembodiments may also be characterized as a method to provide acomprehensive database on an aircraft. This method may include settingup an identification specific to the aircraft when the aircraft enters aproduction system. This method may also include collecting theinformation associated with the aircraft throughout a life of theaircraft in the ADEL database. The database may include information ondesign of the aircraft, change orders and options selected by a customerof the aircraft, manufacturing of the aircraft, production tickets andticket resolutions associated with manufacturing of the aircraft,quality control of the manufacturing of the aircraft, delivery of theaircraft, ongoing operation of the aircraft and identified anomalies andresolutions, maintenance of the aircraft, regulatory compliance of theaircraft, ownership transfer of the aircraft, or a combination thereof.Then, this method may include using the ADEL database for tasksincluding: FAA reviews, acquisition and analysis of planned andunplanned event data from distributed adjunct operational data source ofinformation associated with the design, manufacture, maintenance andoperation of the aircraft, sharing information from a fleet of aircraftfor owner data analysis concerning aircraft availability andmaintenance, sharing information on aircraft equipment operation for theairframe manufacturer and equipment manufacturers and regulatoryagencies for improving design and predicting general issues withequipment, or a combination thereof. Still other variations arepossible. Thus, the illustrative embodiments are not necessarily limitedto these examples.

Illustrative embodiments of the disclosure may be described in thecontext of aircraft manufacturing and service method 800 as shown inFIG. 8 and aircraft 900 as shown in FIG. 9. Turning first to FIG. 8, anillustration of an aircraft manufacturing and service method is depictedin accordance with an illustrative embodiment. During pre-production,aircraft manufacturing and service method 800 may include specificationand design 802 of aircraft 900 in FIG. 9 and material procurement 804.

During production, component and subassembly manufacturing 806 andsystem integration 808 of aircraft 900 in FIG. 9 takes place.Thereafter, aircraft 900 in FIG. 9 may go through certification anddelivery 810 in order to be placed in service 812. While in service 812by a customer, aircraft 900 in FIG. 9 is scheduled for routinemaintenance and service 814, which may include modification,reconfiguration, refurbishment, and other maintenance or service.

Each of the processes of aircraft manufacturing and service method 800may be performed or carried out by a system integrator, a third party,and/or an operator. In these examples, the operator may be a customer.For the purposes of this description, a system integrator may include,without limitation, any number of aircraft manufacturers andmajor-system subcontractors; a third party may include, withoutlimitation, any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and anoperator may be an airline, a leasing company, a military entity, aservice organization, and so on.

With reference now to FIG. 9, an illustration of an aircraft is depictedin which an illustrative embodiment may be implemented. In this example,aircraft 900 is produced by aircraft manufacturing and service method800 in FIG. 8 and may include airframe 902 with plurality of systems 904and interior 906. Examples of systems 904 include one or more ofpropulsion system 908, electrical system 910, hydraulic system 912, andenvironmental system 914. Any number of other systems may be included.Although an aerospace example is shown, different illustrativeembodiments may be applied to other industries, such as the automotiveindustry.

Apparatuses and methods embodied herein may be employed during at leastone of the stages of aircraft manufacturing and service method 800 inFIG. 8.

In one illustrative example, components or subassemblies produced incomponent and subassembly manufacturing 806 in FIG. 8 may be fabricatedor manufactured in a manner similar to components or subassembliesproduced while aircraft 900 is in service 812 in FIG. 8. As yet anotherexample, one or more apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or acombination thereof may be utilized during production stages, such ascomponent and subassembly manufacturing 806 and system integration 808in FIG. 8. One or more apparatus embodiments, method embodiments, or acombination thereof may be utilized while aircraft 900 is in service 812and/or during maintenance and service 814 in FIG. 8. The use of a numberof the different illustrative embodiments may substantially expedite theassembly of and/or reduce the cost of aircraft 900.

Turning now to FIG. 10, an illustration of a data processing system isdepicted in accordance with an illustrative embodiment. Data processingsystem 1000 in FIG. 10 is an example of a data processing system thatmay be used to in conjunction with the illustrative embodiments, such asmethod 500 of FIG. 5, method 600 of FIG. 6, or aircraft 700 of FIG. 7,or any other device or technique disclosed herein. In this illustrativeexample, data processing system 1000 includes communications fabric1002, which provides communications between processor unit 1004, memory1006, persistent storage 1008, communications unit 1010, input/outputunit 1012, and display 1014.

Processor unit 1004 serves to execute instructions for software that maybe loaded into memory 1006. This software may be an associative memory,which is a type of content addressable memory, or software forimplementing the processes described herein. Thus, for example, softwareloaded into memory 1006 may be software for executing the algorithmsdescribed herein. Thus, such software may be program code 710 of FIG. 7.

Processor unit 1004 may be a number of processors, a multi-processorcore, or some other type of processor, depending on the particularimplementation. A number, as used herein with reference to an item,means one or more items. Further, processor unit 1004 may be implementedusing a number of heterogeneous processor systems in which a mainprocessor is present with secondary processors on a single chip. Asanother illustrative example, processor unit 1004 may be a symmetricmulti-processor system containing multiple processors of the same type.

Memory 1006 and persistent storage 1008 are examples of storage devices1016. A storage device is any piece of hardware that is capable ofstoring information, such as, for example, without limitation, data,program code in functional form, and/or other suitable information,either on a temporary basis and/or a permanent basis. Storage devices1016 may also be referred to as computer-readable storage devices inthese examples. Memory 1006, in these examples, may be, for example, arandom access memory or any other suitable volatile or non-volatilestorage device. Persistent storage 1008 may take various forms,depending on the particular implementation.

For example, persistent storage 1008 may contain one or more componentsor devices. For example, persistent storage 1008 may be a hard drive, aflash memory drive, a rewritable optical disk, a rewritable magnetictape, or some combination of the above mentioned devices. The media usedby persistent storage 1008 also may be removable. For example, aremovable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 1008.

Communications unit 1010, in these examples, provides for communicationswith other data processing systems or devices. In these examples,communications unit 1010 is a network interface card. Communicationsunit 1010 may provide communications through the use of either physicalor wireless communications links, or both.

Input/output unit 1012 allows for input and output of data with otherdevices that may be connected to data processing system 1000. Forexample, input/output unit 1012 may provide a connection for user inputthrough a keyboard, a mouse, and/or some other suitable type of inputdevice. Further, input/output unit 1012 may send output to a printer.Display 1014 provides a mechanism to display information to a user.

Instructions for the operating system, applications, and/or programs maybe located in storage devices 1016, which are in communication withprocessor unit 1004 through communications fabric 1002. In theseillustrative examples, the instructions are in a functional form onpersistent storage 1008. These instructions may be loaded into memory1006 for execution by processor unit 1004. The processes of thedifferent embodiments may be performed by processor unit 1004 usingcomputer implemented instructions, which may be located in a memory,such as memory 1006.

These instructions are referred to as program code, computer-useableprogram code, or computer-readable program code that may be read andexecuted by a processor in processor unit 1004. The program code in thedifferent embodiments may be embodied on different physical orcomputer-readable storage media, such as memory 1006 or persistentstorage 1008.

Computer-usable program code 1018 is located in a functional form oncomputer-readable media 1020 that is selectively removable and may beloaded onto or transferred to data processing system 1000 for executionby processor unit 1004. Computer-usable program code 1018 andcomputer-readable media 1020 form computer program product 1022 in theseexamples. In one example, computer-readable media 1020 may becomputer-readable storage media 1024 or computer-readable signal media1026. Computer-readable storage media 1024 may include, for example, anoptical or magnetic disk that is inserted or placed into a drive orother device that is part of persistent storage 1008 for transfer onto astorage device, such as a hard drive, that is part of persistent storage1008. Computer-readable storage media 1024 also may take the form of apersistent storage, such as a hard drive, a thumb drive, or a flashmemory, that is connected to data processing system 1000. In someinstances, computer-readable storage media 1024 may not be removablefrom data processing system 1000.

Alternatively, computer-usable program code 1018 may be transferred todata processing system 1000 using computer-readable signal media 1026.Computer-readable signal media 1026 may be, for example, a propagateddata signal containing computer-usable program code 1018. For example,computer-readable signal media 1026 may be an electromagnetic signal, anoptical signal, and/or any other suitable type of signal. These signalsmay be transmitted over communications links, such as wirelesscommunications links, optical fiber cable, coaxial cable, a wire, and/orany other suitable type of communications link. In other words, thecommunications link and/or the connection may be physical or wireless inthe illustrative examples.

In some illustrative embodiments, computer-usable program code 1018 maybe downloaded over a network to persistent storage 1008 from anotherdevice or data processing system through computer-readable signal media1026 for use within data processing system 1000. For instance, programcode stored in a computer-readable storage medium in a server dataprocessing system may be downloaded over a network from the server todata processing system 1000. The data processing system providingcomputer-usable program code 1018 may be a server computer, a clientcomputer, or some other device capable of storing and transmittingcomputer-usable program code 1018.

The different components illustrated for data processing system 1000 arenot meant to provide architectural limitations to the manner in whichdifferent embodiments may be implemented. The different illustrativeembodiments may be implemented in a data processing system includingcomponents, in addition to or in place of those, illustrated for dataprocessing system 1000. Other components shown in FIG. 10 can be variedfrom the illustrative examples shown. The different embodiments may beimplemented using any hardware device or system capable of runningprogram code. As one example, the data processing system may includeorganic components integrated with inorganic components and/or may becomprised entirely of organic components, excluding a human being. Forexample, a storage device may be comprised of an organic semiconductor.

In another illustrative example, processor unit 1004 may take the formof a hardware unit that has circuits that are manufactured or configuredfor a particular use. This type of hardware may perform operationswithout needing program code to be loaded into a memory from a storagedevice to be configured to perform the operations.

For example, when processor unit 1004 takes the form of a hardware unit,processor unit 1004 may be a circuit system, an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device, or some othersuitable type of hardware configured to perform a number of operations.With a programmable logic device, the device is configured to performthe number of operations. The device may be reconfigured at a later timeor may be permanently configured to perform the number of operations.Examples of programmable logic devices include, for example, aprogrammable logic array, programmable array logic, a field programmablelogic array, a field programmable gate array, or other suitable types ofhardware devices. With this type of implementation, computer-usableprogram code 1018 may be omitted because the processes for the differentembodiments are implemented in a hardware unit.

In still another illustrative example, processor unit 1004 may beimplemented using a combination of processors found in computers andhardware units. Processor unit 1004 may have a number of hardware unitsand a number of processors that are configured to run computer-usableprogram code 1018. With this depicted example, some of the processes maybe implemented in the number of hardware units, while other processesmay be implemented in the number of processors.

As another example, a storage device in data processing system 1000 isany hardware apparatus that may store data. Memory 1006, persistentstorage 1008, and computer-readable media 1020 are examples of storagedevices in a tangible form.

In another example, a bus system may be used to implement communicationsfabric 1002 and may be comprised of one or more buses, such as a systembus or an input/output bus. Of course, the bus system may be implementedusing any suitable type of architecture that provides for a transfer ofdata between different components or devices attached to the bus system.Additionally, a communications unit may include one or more devices usedto transmit and receive data, such as a modem or a network adapter.Further, a memory may be, for example, a cache. A memory may also bememory 1006, found in an interface and memory controller hub that may bepresent in communications fabric 1002.

Data processing system 1000 may also include an associative memory. Anassociative memory may be in communication with communications fabric1002. An associative memory may also be in communication with, or insome illustrative embodiments, be considered part of storage devices1016. Additional associative memories may be present.

As used herein, the term “associative memory” refers to a plurality ofdata and a plurality of associations among the plurality of data. Theplurality of data and the plurality of associations may be stored in anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The plurality of datamay be collected into associated groups. The associative memory may beconfigured to be queried based on at least indirect relationships amongthe plurality of data, in addition to direct correlations among theplurality of data. Thus, an associative memory may be configured to bequeried based solely on direct relationships, based solely on at leastindirect relationships, as well as based on combinations of direct andindirect relationships. An associative memory may be a contentaddressable memory.

Thus, an associative memory may be characterized as a plurality of dataand a plurality of associations among the plurality of data. Theplurality of data may be collected into associated groups. Further, theassociative memory may be configured to be queried based on at least onerelationship, selected from a group that includes direct and indirectrelationships, or from among the plurality of data, in addition todirect correlations among the plurality of data. An associative memorymay also take the form of software. Thus, an associative memory also maybe considered a process by which information is collected intoassociated groups in the interest of gaining new insight based onrelationships rather than direct correlation. An associative memory mayalso take the form of hardware, such as specialized processors or afield programmable gate array.

As used herein, the term “entity” refers to an object that has adistinct, separate existence, though such existence need not be amaterial existence. Thus, abstractions and legal constructs may beregarded as entities. As used herein, an entity need not be animate.Associative memories work with entities.

The different illustrative embodiments can take the form of an entirelyhardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodimentcontaining both hardware and software elements. Some embodiments areimplemented in software, which include but are not limited to forms suchas, for example, firmware, resident software, and microcode.

Furthermore, the different embodiments can take the form of a computerprogram product accessible from a computer-usable or computer-readablemedium providing program code for use by or in connection with acomputer or any device or system that executes instructions. For thepurposes of this disclosure, a computer-usable or computer-readablemedium can generally be any tangible apparatus that can contain, store,communicate, propagate, or transport the program for use by or inconnection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

The computer-usable or computer-readable medium can be, for example,without limitation an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic,infrared, or semiconductor system, or a propagation medium. Non-limitingexamples of a computer-readable medium include a semiconductor or solidstate memory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a randomaccess memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk,and an optical disk. Optical disks may include compact disk read-onlymemory (CD-ROM), compact disk read/write (CD-R/W), or DVD.

Further, a computer-usable or computer-readable medium may contain orstore a computer-readable or computer-usable program code, such thatwhen the computer-readable or computer-usable program code is executedon a computer, the execution of this computer-readable orcomputer-usable program code causes the computer to transmit anothercomputer-readable or computer-usable program code over a communicationslink. This communications link may use a medium that is, for examplewithout limitation, physical or wireless.

A data processing system suitable for storing and/or executingcomputer-readable or computer-usable program code will include one ormore processors coupled, directly or indirectly, to memory elementsthrough a communications fabric, such as a system bus. The memoryelements may include local memory employed during actual execution ofthe program code, bulk storage, and cache memories which providetemporary storage of at least some computer-readable or computer-usableprogram code to reduce the number of times code may be retrieved frombulk storage during execution of the code.

Input/output unit or input/output devices can be coupled to the systemeither directly or through intervening input/output controllers. Thesedevices may include, for example, without limitation, keyboards, touchscreen displays, or pointing devices. Different communications adaptersmay also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing systemto become coupled to other data processing systems, remote printers, orstorage devices through intervening private or public networks.Non-limiting examples of modems and network adapters are just a few ofthe currently available types of communications adapters.

The description of the different illustrative embodiments has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description, and is notintended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments in the formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art. Further, different illustrativeembodiments may provide different features as compared to otherillustrative embodiments. The embodiment or embodiments selected arechosen and described in order to best explain the principles of theembodiments, the practical application, and to enable others of ordinaryskill in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodimentswith various modifications as are suited to the particular usecontemplated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of operating an aircraft, the methodcomprising: receiving, by a processor, a parameter of an aircraft,wherein the parameter is received by the processor from a sensor duringoperation of the aircraft; entering, by the processor, the parameter asa first immutable entry into a ledger stored on a non-transitorycomputer-recordable storage medium, wherein immutable is defined asunchangeability of data stored on the non-transitory computer-recordablestorage medium such that neither the processor, nor any other processor,can ever modify the data, and wherein the ledger also comprisesadditional immutable entries regarding operations of the aircraft and anaircraft environment; performing, by the processor, recursive analysison the first immutable entry together with the additional immutableentries to produce analyzed data; and using, by the processor, theanalyzed data to improve future operational performance of the aircraftby ordering changes in how a component of the aircraft performs duringoperation of the aircraft based on the analyzed data, wherein the ledgeris accessible through one or more devices of a secure distributednetwork.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one ofan onboard sensor, an off-board sensor, multiple sensors, and acombination of both onboard and off-board sensors.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the processor comprises one of an onboard processor, anoff-board processor, and a combination of both the onboard processor andthe off-board processor.
 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:correlating, by the processor, event activities related to the aircraftacross multiple operational domains to provide operational logisticvisibility and operational enhancement.
 5. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising: maintaining the ledger in multiple instantiations bothonboard and off-board the aircraft.
 6. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising: logging contextual event information associated with theparameter; correlating the contextual event information with theparameter to form a correlation; and further including the correlationwhen performing the recursive analysis.
 7. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising: determining a probability of a future event using theanalyzed data.
 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising: using acorollary contribution analysis to estimate when the future event isexpected to occur.
 9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:determining a frequency of the future event using the analyzed data. 10.The method of claim 9 further comprising: determining additionalprobabilities and frequencies of similar future events across a fleet ofadditional aircraft.
 11. The method of claim 7 further comprising:estimating a cause for the future event.
 12. The method of claim 11further comprising: estimating an approach to address the future event.13. The method of claim 1 further comprising: using the ledger toauthenticate a part being used in the aircraft.
 14. A method ofoperating an aircraft, the method comprising: sensing, using a sensor,an event related to an aircraft during operation of the aircraft,wherein the event is defined as data received from a sensor that ispredetermined to be trustworthy; receiving, at a processor, the event;entering, by the processor, the event as a first immutable entry into aledger stored on a non-transitory computer-recordable storage medium,wherein immutable is defined as unchangeability of data stored on thenon-transitory computer-recordable storage medium such that neither theprocessor, nor any other processor, can ever modify the data, andwherein the ledger also comprises additional immutable entries regardingoperations of the aircraft; performing, by the processor, recursiveanalysis on the first immutable entry together with the additionalimmutable entries to produce analyzed data; and using, by the processor,the analyzed data to determine an estimated cause for the event, whereinthe ledger is accessible through a secure distributed network.
 15. Themethod of claim 14 further comprising: estimating an approach toaddressing the event.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the eventcomprises a part of the aircraft operating outside of predefinedoperating parameters.
 17. An aircraft comprising: a fuselage; an onboardcomputer inside the fuselage, the onboard computer comprising aprocessor in communication with a non-transitory computer-recordablestorage medium storing program code which, when executed by theprocessor, performs a computer-implemented method, the program codecomprising: code for sensing, using a sensor, a parameter of theaircraft during operation of the aircraft; code for receiving, at theprocessor, the parameter; code for entering, by the processor, theparameter as a first immutable entry into a ledger stored on anon-transitory computer-recordable storage medium, wherein immutable isdefined as unchangeability of data stored on the non-transitorycomputer-recordable storage medium such that neither the processor, norany other processor, can ever modify the data, and wherein the ledgeralso comprises additional immutable entries regarding operations of theaircraft and an aircraft environment; code for performing, by theprocessor, recursive analysis on the first immutable entry together withthe additional immutable entries to produce analyzed data; and code forusing, by the processor, the analyzed data to improve future operationalperformance of the aircraft by ordering changes in how a component ofthe aircraft performs during operation of the aircraft based on theanalyzed data, wherein the ledger is accessible through a securedistributed network.
 18. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the programcode further comprises: code for correlating, by the processor, eventactivities related to the aircraft across multiple operational domainsto provide operational logistic visibility and operational enhancement.19. The aircraft of claim 17, wherein the program code furthercomprises: code for maintaining the ledger in multiple instantiationsboth onboard and off-board the aircraft.
 20. The aircraft of claim 17,wherein the program code further comprises: code for logging contextualevent information associated with the parameter; code for correlatingthe contextual event information with the parameter to form acorrelation; and code for further including the correlation whenperforming the recursive analysis.